Healthy Hearts (Part 2)

[Mohammed Hjaoua]

Assalamu 'alalikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,



The topic that has come to our attention today, as much as I understand, is the heart of Spiritualism and therefore the heart of Islam. It is not possible, at least for the writer, to comprehensively go through this topic and (perhaps) neither would be the readers interested in reading a large part of the Quran and Ahadith now. Instead, the most important parts shall be (briefly) discussed today, insha Allah. Another thing to mention is that this student is only trying to pass those things that he has learned from his teachers and this does not mean that those things are at the utmost level, instead the writer is trying to forward some pieces in hope that you will build a complete and better picture yourself; as Rasulullah (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) has said below:

Zayd Ibn Thabit (ra) reported: I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_ him) say: May Allah brighten a man who hears a tradition from us, gets it by heart and passes it on to others. Many a bearer of knowledge conveys it to one who is more versed than he is; and many a bearer of knowledge is not versed in it. [Abu Dawud - 025_3652]



First of all, let us be clear about what the heart itself is. The heart is the center, the core of a body, ie: a capital city is the heart of the government (body) in a Country. The heart of a person is where the Soul is stationed. When the soul departures from one's body, we call that person 'dead'. Similarly, when that same soul does not get enough nutritions (light), that person becomes (spiritually) dead. We will take an example from the plants. Plants normally take nutritions from the two main sources:

Externally from the sunlight, air etc
Internally from its roots (heart) - soil and water
If we suppose that the roots of a plant is its heart (which is the house of the soul), then it will be very easy for us to realize the commonalities between us (humans) and the plants. That is, a human being also takes nutritions physically as well as spiritually. Now if we remove a plant from the soil, the plant would die quickly; similarly, if we block the sunlight and air from a plant, that plant would not grow up healthy. Therefore, both internal and external sources of nuritions are vital for the plants to grow healthy and so is it the same for human beings. When a person's heart is corrupt, that person is loosing a major source of nurishment for himself and this is where we understand the very important sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaho alaihi wasallam):

An Numan Ibn Bashir (radhi Allahu 'anhu) reported: I heard Allah's Apostle saying, ..... Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart . [Sahih Bukhari & Muslim - 001_002_049, 010_3882]

Abu Hurayrah (radhi Allahu 'anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had said: Richness does not lie in the abundance of (worldly) goods but richness is the richness of the soul (heart, self). [Sahih Muslim - 005_2287]



This is the point where we need to note that Allah sent Prophets to the mankind to tell them how be healthy, both physically and spiritually and this indeed is the heart of Islam. A supplication of the Prophet Abraham ('alaihi salato was-salam) clearly informs us about the importance of the purity of heart even on the day of Judgment.



æáÇÊÎÒäí íæã íÈÚËæä ¤ íæã áÇíäÝÚ ãÇá æáÇÈäæä ¤ ÇáÇ ãä ÇÊì Çááå ÈÞáÈ Óáíã

....And disgrace me not on the day when they are raised ¤ - the Day when neither wealth nor sons will avail anyone, ¤ and when none shall be saved except him who will come before Allah with a pure/healthy heart (biqalbin saleem), Al-Quran [ ÓæÑÉ ÇáÔÚÑÇÁ (Shuaraa) - 26:87-89]


æÇÒáÝÊ ÇáÌäÉ ááãÊÞíä ÛíÑ ÈÚíÏ ¤ åÐÇ ãÇÊæÚÏæä áßá ÇæÇÈ ÍÝíÙ ¤ ãä ÎÔí ÇáÑÍãä ÈÇáÛíÈ æÌÇÁ ÈÞáÈ ãäíÈ

Paradise shall be brought close to the righteous, which will no more be a distant thing, ¤ and it will be said: "Here is what you were promised. It is for every penitent faithful person, ¤ who feared the Compassionate (Allah) without seeing Him and will come before Him with a devoted heart." Al-Quran [ ÓæÑÉ Þ (Qaaf) - 50:31-33]


æäÝÓ æãÇÓæÇåÇ ¤ ÝÇáåãåÇ ÝÌæÑåÇ æÊÞæÇåÇ ¤ ÞÏ ÇÝáÍ ãä ÒßÇåÇ ¤ æÞÏ ÎÇÈ ãä ÏÓÇåÇ ¤ ßÐÈÊ ËãæÏ ÈØÛæÇåÇ

And by the soul and Him Who perfected it ¤ and inspired it with knowledge of what is wrong for it and what is right for it: ¤ indeed successful will be the one who keeps it pure, ¤ and indeed failure will be the one who corrupts it! ¤ The people of Thamud denied the truth because of their arrogant transgression. .. Al-Quran [ Shams - 91:7-11 ]


ÞÏ ÇÝáÍ ãä ÊÒßì ¤ æÐßÑ ÇÓã ÑÈå ÝÕáì ¤ Èá ÊÄËÑæä ÇáÍíÇÉ ÇáÏäíÇ ¤ æÇáÇÎÑÉ ÎíÑ æÇÈÞì ¤ Çä åÐÇ áÝí ÇáÕÍÝ ÇáÇæáì ¤ ÕÍÝ ÇÈÑÇåíã æãæÓì

He indeed shall be successful who purifies himself, ¤ And magnifies the name of his Lord and prays. ¤ Nay! you prefer the life of this world, ¤ While the hereafter is better and more lasting. ¤ Most surely this is in the earlier scriptures, ¤ The scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa. Al-Quran [ A'laa - 87:14-19]




The facts that we saw recently from the following two Ayaat (verses) indicate that every society is a collection of people, and every person is resembled by what is in his/her heart. Therefore, the hearts of the people (as a whole) in a society closely affect the condition of that society.



Ðáß ÈÇä Çááå áã íß ãÛíÑÇ äÚãÉ ÇäÚãåÇ Úáì Þæã ÍÊì íÛíÑæÇ ãÇÈÇäÝÓåã æÇä Çááå ÓãíÚ Úáíã

... Allah has never changed the blessings which He has bestowed on a people (Qawm) until they themselves changed the condition of their souls; verily Allah hears all and knows all. Al-Quran [ ÓæÑÉ ÇáÃäÝÇá (Anfaal) - 8:53]


áå ãÚÞÈÇÊ ãä Èíä íÏíå æãä ÎáÝå íÍÝÙæäå ãä ÇãÑ Çááå Çä Çááå áÇíÛíÑ ãÇÈÞæã ÍÊì íÛíÑæÇ ãÇÈÇäÝÓåã æÇÐÇ ÇÑÇÏ Çááå ÈÞæã ÓæÁÇ ÝáÇ ãÑÏ áå æãÇáåã ãä Ïæäå ãä æÇá

... Allah never changes the condition of a people until they intend to change it themselves. If Allah wants to afflict a people with misfortune, none can ward it off, nor they can find any protector besides Him. Al-Quran [ ÓæÑÉ ÇáÑÚÏ (Ra'd) - 13:11]


Shayyateen (Devils among Jinn) don't enforce us to comit evil, infact we don't even see them. They only try to control our hearts by whispering into them. However, Satan himself has admitted that he shall have no control over those who are sincere devotees of Allah (al-Mukhlaseen) .



ÞÇá ÑÈ ÈãÇ ÇÛæíÊäí áÇÒíää áåã Ýí ÇáÇÑÖ æáÇÛæíäåã ÇÌãÚíä ¤ ÇáÇ ÚÈÇÏß ãäåã ÇáãÎáÕíä ¤ ÞÇá åÐÇ ÕÑÇØ Úáí ãÓÊÞíã ¤ Çä ÚÈÇÏí áíÓ áß Úáíåã ÓáØÇä ÇáÇ ãä ÇÊÈÚß ãä ÇáÛÇæíä

Iblis (Satan) said: "Lord! Since You let me go astray, I will make evil fair-seeming to them on earth and I will seduce them all ¤ except those of them who are Your sincere devotees." ¤ Allah said: "This course of action is all right with Me ¤ - you will not have any authority over My devotees except those misguided ones who follow you. Al-Quran [ ÓæÑÉ ÇáÍÌÑ (Hijr) - 15:39-42]


Now, here at this point, it is important to note that neither Devils enforce anyone to commit evil and NOR does Allah enforce anyone to accept the truth. Allah Calls to the abode of peace, bliss and real life whereas, Devils call to the abode of fire and distress. It is left up to the individual whether he/she responds to the Call of Allah or the Call of shayyateen (devils).



áÇÇßÑÇå Ýí ÇáÏíä ÞÏ ÊÈíä ÇáÑÔÏ ãä ÇáÛí Ýãä íßÝÑ ÈÇáØÇÛæÊ æíÄãä ÈÇááå ÝÞÏ ÇÓÊãÓß ÈÇáÚÑæÉ ÇáæËÞì áÇÇäÝÕÇã áåÇ æÇááå ÓãíÚ Úáíã

There is no compulsion in religion. True guidance has been made clearly distinct from error. Therefore, whoever renounces 'Taghut' (forces of Satan) and believes in Allah has grasped the firm hand-hold that will never break. Allah, Whose hand-hold you have grasped, hears all and knows all. Al-Quran [ ÓæÑÉ ÇáÈÞÑÉ (Baqarah) - 2:256]


íÇÇíåÇ ÇáäÇÓ Çä æÚÏ Çááå ÍÞ ÝáÇ ÊÛÑäßã ÇáÍíÇÉ ÇáÏäíÇ æáÇíÛÑäßã ÈÇááå ÇáÛÑæÑ ¤ Çä ÇáÔíØÇä áßã ÚÏæ ÝÇÊÎÐæå ÚÏæÇ ÇäãÇ íÏÚæ ÍÒÈå áíßæäæÇ ãä ÇÕÍÇÈ ÇáÓÚíÑ

O mankind! Certainly the promise of Allah is true, therefore let not the life of this world deceive you nor let the chief deceiver (Satan) deceive you about Allah.[5] ¤ Surely Satan (Satan) is your enemy: so take him as an enemy. He is inviting his adherents towards his way so that they may become companions of the blazing fire. Al-Quran [ ÓæÑÉ ÝÇØÑ (Faatir) - 35:5-6]


íÇÇíåÇ ÇáÐíä ÇãäæÇ ÇÓÊÌíÈæÇ ááå æááÑÓæá ÇÐÇ ÏÚÇßã áãÇ íÍííßã æÇÚáãæÇ Çä Çááå íÍæá Èíä ÇáãÑÁ æÞáÈå æÇäå Çáíå ÊÍÔÑæä

O believers! Respond to the call of Allah and His Messenger, when He calls you to that which gives you life; and know that Allah stands between man and his heart, and that it is He in Whose presence you shall all be assembled. Al-Quran [ ÓæÑÉ ÇáÃäÝÇá (Anfaal) - 8:24]


Çæ ãä ßÇä ãíÊÇ ÝÇÍííäÇå æÌÚáäÇ áå äæÑÇ íãÔí Èå Ýí ÇáäÇÓ ßãä ãËáå Ýí ÇáÙáãÇÊ áíÓ ÈÎÇÑÌ ãäåÇ ßÐáß Òíä ááßÇÝÑíä ãÇ ßÇäæÇ íÚãáæä ¤ æßÐáß ÌÚáäÇ Ýí ßá ÞÑíÉ ÇßÇÈÑ ãÌÑãíåÇ áíãßÑæÇ ÝíåÇ æãÇ íãßÑæä ÇáÇ ÈÇäÝÓåã æãÇíÔÚÑæä

Is he who was dead then We raised him to life and made for him a light by which he walks among the people, like him whose likeness is that of one in utter darkness whence he cannot come forth? Thus what they did was made fair seeming to the unbelievers. ¤ And thus have We made in every town the great ones to be its guilty ones, that they may plan therein; and they do not plan but against their own souls, and they do not perceive. Al-Quran [ ÓæÑÉ ÇáÃäÚÇã (An'aam) - 6:122-123]